The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-10-10
The Pirate "I,Iackbcard."

In"Blackbeard" we have areal, rant
ing, raging, roaring pirate per se-one
who really did bury treasure, who
made more than one captain walk the
plank, and who committed more pr.
vate murders than he could number or
| the fingers OF both hands; one who fills
and will continue to fill, the place to
which he has been assigned for gener-
atoms, and who may be depended
upon to hold his place in the conf
dence OF others for generations tc
| come,
Captain Teach was Bristol man
born, and learned his trade on borad
OF sundry privateers in the East In
dies during the old French War--that
OF 17O2-and better apprenticeship
could no man serve. At last, some.
where about the latter part OF the
year 1716, q privateering captain, one
Benjamin Hornigold, raised him from
the ranks and pnt him in command
OF n sloop-a lately captured prize
and Black beard fortune was made.
1t was very slight step, and but the
change OF few letters, to convert
"privateer" into pirate" and it
was very short time before Teach
made that change. Not only did he
make it himself, but he persuaded his
old captain to Join him.
And now fairly begun that series OF
bold and lawless depredations which
have made his name so Justly famous,
and which placed him amongst the
very greatest OF NARROWING freeboot
ers.
"Our hero" says the old historian
who sings OF the arms and bravery OF
this great man-"Our hero assumed
the cognomen OF Blackboard from
that large quantity OF HAIR which, like
q frightful meteor, covered his whole
face, and frightened America more
than any comet that appeared there
for long time. He was accustomed
to twist it with ribbons into small
tails, after the manner OF our Ram.
lilies wig, and turn them about his
ears. In time Of action he wore a
sling over his shoulders, with three
brace OF pistols hanging in holsters
like bando leers; he stuck lighted
matches under his hat, which, appear
ing on each side OF his face, and his
ey es naturally looking fierce and wild,
made him altogether such a figure
that imagination cannot form an
idea OF Fury from hell to look more
frightful."
The night before the day OF the &C.
ton in which he was killed he sat up
drinking with some congenial COM
pany until broad day light One Of
them asked him ii his poor young wife
knew where his treasure was hidden.
mo" says Black beard; nobody but
the devil and knows where it is, and
the longest liver shall have all.
For time Blackboard worked at
his trade down on the Spanish Main,
gathering in, the few years he was
there, very neat little fortune in the
booty captured from sundry vessels;
but by-and-by he took it into his
head to try his luck along the coast
of the Carolinas; so of he sailed to
the northward, with quite respect.
able little fleet, consisting OF his own
vessel and two captured sloops.
From that time he was actively en-
gagged in the making OF American his.
tory in his small way.
He first appeared of the bar OF
Charleston Harbor, to the no small
excitement OF the worthy town OF
that ilk, and there he lay for five or
six days, blockading the port and
stopping incoming and outgoing yes.
sells Mt his pleasure, so that, Tor the
time, the commerce OF the province
was entirely paralyzed. All the YES.
sells so stopped he held as prizes, and
all the crews and passengers (amonl
the latter OF whom was more than
one provincial worthy oil the day he
retained as though they were prison.
ers OF the war.
And it was nightly awkward
thing for the good folk OF Charleston
to behold day after day black FLAG
with it's white skull and bones
huttering at the lore OF the pirate
captains craft, over across the level
stretch of green salt-marshes; and it
was nightly unpleasant, too, to
know that this or that prominent
citizen was crowded down with the
other prisoners under the matches.
Becoming tired OF an inactive life,
Blackboard afterward assumed his
piratical career. He crulsed around
| in the rivers and inlets and sounds Of
North Carolina for a while, ruling the
roost, and with never one to say
him nay, until there was no bearing
with such pest any longer. So they
sent deputation up to the Governor
OF Virginia asking if he would be
pleased to help them in their trouble
There were two men-of-war lying at